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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · last · scale · spell · press · rule

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — a law
  5. spell — letters
  6. press — a publisher
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. last — final
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — magic
  17. press — to push
  18. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com